Support bracket for overlapping window shades



H. A. LARSEN 3,420,487 SUPPORT BRACKET FOR OVERLAPPING WINDOW SHADES Jan. 7, 1969 Filed Oct. 12, 1967 INVENTOR. HEIYRJ A. LARSEN fl roRrveas.

United States Patent 2 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A support for a window shade roller projects forward from one end of a vertical metal plate, the opposite end portion of which is bent backwardly and then parallel to the rest of the plate for a short distance. This back portion of the plate has an upwardly extending extension, from which a support projects forward for one end of another window shade roller above the first roller. The extension also is provided with a hole to receive a fastener for connecting the bracket to a vertical surface. The rollers supported by the bracket will overlap each other so that the shades hanging from the rollers will overlap.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION For ordinary size windows, a single window shade is sufiicient. The shade roller is mounted at its opposite ends in supports connected to the wall or window frame near the top of the window. Wide windows naturally require wider shades, but the cost of shades increases with their width all out of proportion to the increase in width. Thus, a 72" window shade may cost four times as much as a 36" shade. With wide windows it therefore may be cheaper to use several narrow shades than one wide shade. Also, some windows, such as in schools and industrial buildings, are so wide that they cannot be covered by a single shade. An objection to using relatively narrow shades side by side is that there is a light leak between their adjacent edges. To overcome this objection, a pair of shades are spaced apart a distance nearly as great as the width of a single shade, and then a third shade is suspended between them with its opposite edges overlapping the adjacent edges of the other two shades. In order to do this the brackets that support the spaced pair of shades have portions spaced from the wall or window frame so that the intermediate shade, suspended from a roller above the other two rollers, can be pulled down behind the brackets. The intermediate shade can be supported by conventional shade supports. It will be seen that such an arrangement for three shades requires six brackets and a considerable number of fasteners for attaching them in place.

It is among the objects of this invention to provide a single bracket that will support the overlapping ends of two different window shade rollers, and that is simple in construction and easily attached to a vertical surface.

In accordance with this invention, a vertical metal plate has a body with a front and rear sides and horizontally spaced ends. Projecting forward from one end of the body is a support for one end of a shade roller extending across the bracket. Spaced behind the opposite end of the body and parallel to it is a vertical back portion of the plate. The body of the plate is integrally connected to this back portion by a short, rearwardly extending, portion of the plate. The back portion has an extension extending above the body and from which a support projects forward across the body to support another shade roller also extending across the bracket. The extension is provided with a hole to receive a fastener for connecting the bracket to a vertical surface.

3,420,487 Patented Jan. 7, 1969 The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view of a window provided with my shade brackets;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary plane view; and

FIG. -3 is an end view taken on the line III-III of FIG. 2.

Referring to FIG. 1 of the drawings, a wide window is shown provided with three window shades 1, 2, and 3 having overlapping edges. The roller 4 for the center window shade 2 is disposed a short distance above the other two rollers 5 and 6. The outer end of each outer roller is mounted in a bracket 7 attached to a vertical surface 8, such as the window frame or the adjoining wall. The inner ends of the two outer rollers are supported in brackets 9 which, in accordance with this invention, also support the center roller. These last-mentioned brackets, which incorporate the invention, now will be described in detail.

Each of the two center brackets 9 is formed from a sheet metal plate that is bent into a predetermined shape. Thus, the plate has a rectangular vertical body 11 with front and rear sides and horizontally spaced ends. The front side faces the room and the rear side faces the wall. One end of the plate is bent rearwardly a short distance, as shown at 12, in FIG. 3, and then is bent again to provide a vertical back portion 13 that extends parallel to body 11 a short distance toward the opposite end of the plate. A slot 14, preferably about A" wide, is thus formed between the plate body and its back portion. Extending upwardly from the back portion is an integral extension 15, in the upper end of which there is a hole that receives a fastener 16, such as a screw or nail, that holds the bracket in place. A second hole for a fastener 17 usually is provided below the upper hole for the same purpose. The back portion of the plate may also have a lower extension 18 likewise provided with a hole for receiving a fastener 19.

Secured to the opposite end of body 11, such as by welding, is a conventional shade roller support 21. This holds one end of one of the outer rollers, which extends from the support horizontally across the bracket and outwardly to one of the brackets 7 at the side of the window. A feature of this invention is that a roller support 22 also is secured to bracket extension 15, from which it extends forward across the top of the plate body. Fasteners 16 and 17 pass through this roller support, which holds one end of center roller 4 that extends from there lengthwise of the bracket and across the top of the lower support 21. It is preferred that support 22 be welded to extension 15 so that only a single unit needs to be handled. However, if desired, a separate shade support 22 can be used and attached to extension 15 by fasteners 16 and 17 when the bracket is mounted in place.

It will be seen that the two center brackets not only support the inner ends of the two outer rollers, but also both ends of the center roller. The center roller overlaps the outer rollers below it for a distance of a couple of inches or so at each end. The tWo end shades 1 and 3 hang down from their supporting rollers in conventional manner, but the shade 2 on the center roller extends down behind the center bracket bodies through their slots 14 and therefore overlaps the adjoining marginal portions of the outer shades. Of course, the outer brackets 7 project forward the distance necessary to maintain the outer rollers parallel to the wall.

There are several advantages in bracket 9 over those used heretofore. One bracket takes the place of two, and that simplifies packaging, shipping and installation. It also means that the same fasteners that hold the support for an outer roller also hold the support for the center roller, thereby reducing the time and labor required to install the supports. Also, by having both supports connected to the same plae, in predetermined positions, they are always properly positioned relative to each other without first requiring measurements and adjustments to be made in order to locate the supports the correct horizontal and vertical distances apart. The overall appearance is one of neatness and uniformity.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, I have explained the principle of my invention and have illustrated and described what I now consider to represent its best embodiment. However, I desire to have it understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may be practiced otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

I claim:

1. A bracket for supporting overlapping window shades comprising a vertical metal plate having a body with front and rear sides and horizontally spaced ends, a support projecting forward from one end of said body for one end of a first shade roller extending across the bracket, said plate having a vertical back portion spaced behind the opposite end of said body and parallel thereto, said opposite end of the body being integrally connected to said back portion by a short rearwardly extending portion of the plate, the back portion having an extension extending above said body, and a support projecting forward across the top of said body from said extension for one end of a second shade roller extending across the bracket, the extension being provided with a hole to receive a fastener for connecting the bracket to a vertical surface.

2. A bracket according to claim 1, in which said back portion also has an extension extending below said body provided with a fastener-receiving hole.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,155,823 10/1915 King et al 248-255 1,226,422 5/ 1917 Walkush 248266 1,361,881 12/1920 Lindner 248266 X 1,500,014 7/1924 Thurber 160l20 2,139,580 12/1938 Draper et al 160120 ROY D. FRAZIER, Primary Examiner.

J. FRANKLIN FOSS, Assistant Examiner.

US. Cl. X.R. 

